Category: Questions about Income

I received alimony payments. When do I have to claim this on my return?

Alimony payments received from your spouse or former spouse are taxable to you in the year you receive them. This means that if you received alimony payments during the 2016 tax year, you must include the total amount received as alimony when preparing your 2016 tax return. Generally, if you are receiving alimony payments, you are always required to include this as income on your income tax return.

Because no taxes are withheld from alimony payments, you may also need to make estimated tax payments or increase the amount withheld from your paycheck. For additional information about alimony, please refer to IRS Publication 504.